5 great Roguelike games available on Xbox Series X|S

Everyone has a preference for the genres of video games they prefer to play. On Xbox, many of your favorite genres are easily accessible through services like Xbox Game Pass, but what if your favorite gaming genre is the randomly generated, dungeon-digging experience provided by roguelikes that game?

Fortunately, Xbox has plenty of options for trying out the best roguelike games on consoles, and each title has its own variation and twist on the genre. If you want to check out some of the best roguelikes available on Xbox Series X|S, we can help.

1. Hades

One of, if not the most well-known roguelike game you can play on your Xbox Series X|S is Hades, a story of family and love that delves into mythology.

Standing out from other roguelikes with its mythological theme, Hades puts you in the shoes of Zagreus, an unknown Greek god and son of Hades. As Zagreus, you must try to escape the underworld, learn the truth about your parents, and challenge your father, the God of the underworld who controls you.

In addition to offering exceptional combat and gameplay loops, with many Boons associated with the Greek Gods that allow you to use and combine the powers of the Greek Gods, Hades also offers more deeper and more story-driven experiences. Xbox.

The emphasis on storytelling elevates the quality of Hades above most other roguelikes available, and the title won GDC’s 2021 Game of the Year award. So if you’re interested in an addictive, endless roguelike with a story-telling steeped in Greek mythology to play on Xbox, Hades is the game for you.

If you’re looking for other potential Game of the Year contenders to expand your gaming horizons, the best games available in 2022 might help you find the next quality title to add to your repertoire.

2. The Binding of Isaac

Although it didn’t win Game of the Year, The Binding of Isaac is one of the oldest and most enjoyable roguelikes available on Xbox that, despite its initial release in 2012, still enjoys content updates in 2023.

Retracing the harrowing experiences of a boy named Isaac and the suffering he endured at the hands of his Bible-obsessed family, The Binding of Isaac turns Isaac’s trauma into a hellish dungeon that you must navigate to defeat. your own mother. Therefore, this roguelike is not for the faint of heart.

But while The Binding of Issac’s theme is incredibly dark and mature, the roguelike’s core is an incredibly deep mod and item system that runs like no other. In one game, you can be a weak and vulnerable Isaac who shoots drops from his eyes; next time you can be a laser blast demon.

This gameplay loop and ramp-up has made The Binding of Isaac a staple and long-standing title among other roguelike games. Among the roguelike games you can play on your Xbox Series X|S, The Binding of Isaac is therefore a must.

3. Cult of the Lamb

A new type of roguelike available on your Xbox Series X|S that takes two game genres and twists them is the Cult of the Lamb roguelike.

Playing as a sacrificed lamb, saved from the slaughter and seeking revenge on those who wronged you, Cult of the Lamb requires you to gather followers and become powerful enough to defeat your enemies.

Taking the farm-building formula made by games like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley and turning the farm into a cult is not the most obvious choice when thinking of a roguelike with its own take on the genre.

Once you’ve played and taken down multiple enemies and bosses in a series of dungeons to gain followers and resources, the roguelike intent behind Cult of the Lamb becomes clear.

Due to Cult of the Lamb’s cult simulation side, the game does however have a certain ending; once you beat the game’s main bosses, there’s nothing you can do but grow your cult following. Even then, there wasn’t much to do in the Cult of the Lamb postgame.

So if you’re looking for a roguelike to while away the time on your Xbox Series X|S without a specific commitment, Cult of the Lamb is the game for you.

4. Enter the Gungeon

Despite the many roguelikes available on your Xbox, none has such a clearly defined theme related to its style, gameplay loop, and storytelling as Enter the Gungeon, namely guns, guns, and more guns.

The principle of Enter the Gungeon is simple and reflects the roguelike genre: enter a randomly generated dungeon, collect buffs and go as far as possible. What makes the game unique is the countless weapons you can use, and most are recognizable from other popular franchises.

Want to use Doom’s BFG and Men In Black’s Noisy Cricket at the same time? Well, in Enter the Gungeon it is possible. The game takes the dungeon crawling premise of classics like Legend of Zelda and throws in more guns than you could ask for.

Although simple and intentionally silly, Enter the Gungeon is all the more fun for it and represents one of the best time-wasting roguelike games you can play on Xbox.

5. Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors is a unique title, available not only on Xbox but also on Xbox Game Pass, that represents one of the easiest to play and deepest roguelikes available.

With almost no narrative, Vampire Survivors asks you to pick a character and survive as long as possible in its randomly generated arenas. And strangely, your only control is directional movement via your analog stick, and there’s no way to aim or fire attacks as they happen automatically.

While this may seem basic, the idea of ​​playing the game itself offers its own benefits, with the ability to move your character, earn XP, and plan your build for the race as you play. .

This makes Vampire Survivors’ gameplay loop unique, with items and modifiers that allow hours of combinations and variations of course to support the game’s roguelike roots.

The game is also available on Game Pass, which means being a fan of quality roguelikes, like Vampire Survivors, could be one of the reasons why Xbox users should get Xbox Game Pass.

Enjoy different game genres on Xbox

Now that you know the best roguelike games on Xbox, you can start enjoying the genre and all the variations that come with each game, whether it’s Enter the Gungeon or the gun-toting, Greek-based Hades mythology.

Outside of roguelikes, Xbox offers a variety of great games spanning the medium’s main genres, from co-op games to first-person shooters, so be sure to check them all out . other Xbox hits in different game genres.